Finance news you need to know today

APPLE has reported a surprise fall in iPhone sales, indicating customers held back in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition.

HERE are eight things making news in business and finance today.

1. SYDNEY — The Australian market is set to open flat with flat leads from US markets and little in the way of share or economic news to influence investors. At 0700 AEST on Wednesday, the share price futures index was down four points, or 0.07 per cent, at 5,930.

2. SYDNEY — Meanwhile, the Australian dollar has risen slightly against the greenback with more investors expecting the US Federal Open Market Committee to hold interest rates in May. The local currency was trading at 75.25 US cents at 0700 AEST on Wednesday, from 75.25 on Tuesday.

3. WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to China vowed Tuesday to use his longstanding ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping to advance US interests in Asia.

4. LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May played up her credentials as a “bloody difficult woman” on Tuesday in response to reports of a fractious dinner with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last week.

5. PARIS — Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen says she’s better placed than her rival, centrist Emmanuel Macron, to defend France’s interests in what she called the “new world” of US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

6. DUBAI/CAIRO — Saudi Arabia’s powerful deputy crown prince ruled out on Tuesday any dialogue with arch rival Iran and pledged to protect his conservative kingdom from what he called Tehran’s efforts to dominate the Muslim world.

7. NEW YORK — Apple Inc reported a surprise fall in iPhone sales for the second quarter on Tuesday, indicating that customers had held back purchases in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition launch of the company’s most important product.

8. ATHENS — Promising to cut pensions and give taxpayers fewer breaks, Greece has paved the way for the disbursement of further rescue funds from international lenders and possibly opened the door to reworking its massive debt.